Perforator attachment for printed tape of labels



July 3,1 I R. J. BUCKHOLZ ,45 ,4

PERFORATQR ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTED TAPE OF LABELS 3116a Aug. 2, 1965 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR- RONALD J.BUCKHOLZ I: 2 BY I Ari'oR EYS July 8, 1969 v .R. J. BUCKHOLZ PERFORATO'YR ATTACHMENT- FbR PRINTED TAPE 0F LABELS Filed Aug. 2, 1965 INVENTOR I RONALD J BUCKHQLZ SHAFT OF LABELING MA CHINE United States Patent 3,454,451 PERFORATOR ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTED TAPE 0F LABELS Ronald J. Buckholz, Bay Shore, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Designed Mailing Accessories, Inc., Farmingdale, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 476,239 Int. Cl. B65c 9/18 US. Cl. 156-513 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electromagnetically actuated punch has a tape drawn therebeneath by a sprocket wheel of a labeling machine. A cam, placed upon a rotating shaft of the labeling machine to rotate therewith, trips a switch connected to the punch to actuate the latter in timed relation to the speed of the labeling machine resulting in a series of spaced perforations in the tape.

This invention relates to perforators, and more particularly to a perforator attachment for a printed tape of labels intended to be used in an automatic labeling machine.

Automatic labeling machines are used to apply an address label (or some other printed label) to envelopes, post-cards, pamphlets, brochures, catalogues, etc. (hereinafter for simplicity referred to merely as envelopes). Labeling machines are used for large volume mailing, say of coupons, proxies, advertisements and so on. Some companies owning such machines offer to others the specialized service of bulk labeling and mailing.

In one common form the labeling machine receives a tape of preprinted labels which are perforated between successive labels. The machine severs, glues, and applies the labels successively to the envelopes. A well-known example are the Cheshire machines made by Cheshire Incorporated of Mundelein, Ill.

The machine feeds the tape by means of a sprocket wheel having pins or teeth to engage the perforations, but sometimes a printed tape is received which has no perforations. It has heretofore been necessary to perform a special perforating operation, and this may be expensive because the feed distance or pitch of the holes between the printed labels must be closely supervised. The feed of the tape when perforating preferably should be identical with the-feed of the tape in the labeling machine, otherwise a cumulative error will occur.

The general object of the present invention is toovercome this difiiculty, and to provide an attachment for a labeling machine for perforating an imperforate tape. A more specific object is to avoid difficulty in matching the feed increments or pitch, by using the feed wheel of the labeling machine itself as feed wheel also for the perforating attachment. This insures like feed in both cases.

To accomplish the foregoing general objects, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, my invention resides in the perforating and labeling machine elements and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic plan view of a labeling machine embodying the perforating attachment of the present improvement;

FIG. 2 is an electrical diagram;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken approximately on the line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of an attachment embodying features of the present invention;

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FIG. 5 shows a fragment of a preprinted label tape which has been partially preforated;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the perforating attachment;

FIG. 7 is an end elevation of the attachment looking toward the right end of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a feed drum or wheel forming a part of the labeling machine; and

FIG. 9 shows a cam operated switch forming a part of the attachment.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 5, the paper tape 12 is provided with suitable printed matter, typically a series of names and addresses indicated at 14, 16, 18 etc. The tape may have a width of say two to three inches, and the addresses are printed at a spacing or pitch along the length of the tape of one inch. Usually the tape has feed perforations indicated at 20. These are located between the successive addresses, at a spacing or pitch of one inch.

Referring now to FIG. 1, in a typical labeling machine the roll of tape is suitably mounted in an elevated position, here indicated at 22. The tape is led to a feed wheel 24 having sprockets, teeth, or pins 26 which engage the perforations in the tape. This feeds the tape to a suitable cutting device or knife symbolically represented here by the rectangle 28, and the resulting cut label then overlies and is sucked downward against a suction wheel 30 the periphery of which has a large number of suction holes, and the interior of which is connected to a suitable fan, blower, or other vacuum source not shown. At this time the printed face of the label is downward, and the label is carried around by the wheel 30, say one-quarter turn, to a series of contacting glue applying rollers symbolized at 32, 34, and one of which rotates in a suitable glue reservoir 36. The suction wheel then turns another one-fourth turn, at which time the label is at the bottom where it is applied or rolled on an envelope moving therebeneath. A stack of such envelopes is located at 37, these being held between conventional adjustable upright guides, and the bottom envelope is fed from beneath the stack to a position beneath the suction wheel 30 and thence to a relatively slowly moving conveyor 38 where they are overlapped or shingled, as is indicated at 40. At intervals an operator removes the labeled envelopes.

Ordinarily the label tape is perforated, but on occasion a label tape may be supplied which has not been perforated. This usually requires a special separate perforating operation. However, in accordance with the present invention, I provide a perforating attachment illustrated in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, and this attachment is added to and then forms a part of a labeling machine. In FIG. 5 the right hand part of the tape has perforations 20, and the left hand part has no such perforations, as though not yet reaching the punch of the attachment.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the parts of the attachment (other than a timing switch described later) are mounted on a base 42, which in turn is mounted on the labeling machine. FIG. 1 has been simplified to show the attachment as though mounted directly on the table 44 of the labeling machine, but in practice there is no such vacant area to receive the attachment, and it is mounted in somewhat elevated position to clear some elements therebeneath. In fact, in some machines it may be mounted over the path of the envelopes, and the exact physical location is not important, but in all cases the attachment is operationally or effectively located between the supply roll 22 and the feed wheel 24. The simplified sequential arrangement of FIG. 1 clarifies this intended operation.

Referring'to FIGS. 1 and 4, the imperforate tape 12 is fed from supply roll 22 and then between superposed rollers 46 and 48. These both have collars, indicated at 50 and 52, but the spacing of the collars is such that the collars 50 are between the collars 52, as is best shown in FIG. 6. The tape 12 therefore passes beneath the collars 50 and between the collars 52, which then act as a side guide to properly locate the tape from side to side. The rollers turn freely on bearing rods, the ends of which are shouldered and threaded, and receive suitable washers and nuts or knobs (described later) to tighten the same in desired position in a slotted upright 54. The uprights 54 have angle pieces 56 at the bottom which are secured against the bottom of base 42. It will be understood that the rollers 46 and 48 are freely rotatable on the shouldered bearing rods 58 and 60, which in turn are locked against movement and against rotation. The collars 50 and 52 may be released and adjusted from side to side to accommodate a tape of different width.

The tape then moves in reverse direction around a take up roller 62. This is freely rotatable on a bearing rod 66, the said rod being shouldered and threaded at its ends to receive nuts 68 which are disposed outside a pair of uprights 70, which may be connected by a cross member or bottom 72 which is not secured to the base 42. Instead it is slidable along the base. The bearing rod 66 passes freely through elongated horizontal slots 74 in a pair of side arms 76 which may be formed integrally with the upright bearing supports 54 previously mentioned. The upright supports 70 are horizontally slidable with the rod 66 and are urged to the left as seen in FIG. 4 by a pair of pull springs 78.

The tape 12 then moves to the right beneath a punch unit generally designated 80. In the present case, this punch unit is electromagnetically operated. Referring to FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, there is a solenoid coil 82 within a conventional core structure 84. A part of the core including the center leg is vertically movable and is connected rigidly at 86 (FIG. 7) to a horizontal arm 88.

This in turn is fixedly connected at 90 to a vertically slidable punch rod 92, which normally is raised by a compression spring 94. At its lower end the rod 92 carries a perforating punch 96 which cooperates with a mating die hole 98. The tape may be held down or stripped by a pair of light spring strips 100, one on each side of the punch. If desired these spring strips may be oriented 90 from the position shown in FIG. 7, that is, they may be in the direction of movement of the tape instead of transversely of the tape.

dicated at 108, and the frame is itself secured to the base 42, as by means of an angle member 110. The spacing of parts 102 and 104 may be strengthened by side struts 112. The details of the mounting are not important and may be extensively varied.

Inasmuch as the movable core 86 is normally elevated, each time the solenoid is electrically energized it pulls the core 86 downward, and the arm 88 and punch rod 92 move downward with it, to punch a hole in the tape. The energization is only momentary, and the punch is imme diately retracted by the spring 94 so that the tape is free to move another step or pitch length, say one inch.

Reverting to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tape leaving the punch 80 is led beneath a roll 116. This roll is freely rotatable on a bearing rod 118 the ends of which are shouldered and threaded. They receive washers which straddle vertically slotted uprights 120, the latter being L-shaped and having bottom parts 122 which are fixedly secured beneath the base 42, as is best shown in FIG. 7. The bearing rod 118 receives knurled knobs 124 at both ends, and by loosening these knobs the height of the bearing rod 118 may be adjusted. Inasmuch as the tape leaves at a sharp upright angle from roller 116 to the feed Wheel 24 (FIG. 1), adjustment of the height of roller 116 permits the 4 location of the hole produced by punch 96 to be properly registered with the teeth of the feed wheel 24. The roll 116 (FIG. 6) may carry sidewardly adjustable collars 126 between which the tape runs.

Referring to FIG. 3, the roll 116 carries collars 126 and is freely rotatable on a fixed rod 118. This is shouldered at 128, and a reduced diameter extension 130 is threaded to receive washers 132 and 134 on opposite sides of the upright slotted support 120, and also to receive the internally threaded hand knob 124. When the latter is tightened it clamps the rod 118 in position in the upright support 120, without however interfering with the desired free rotation of the roller 116, the latter having a length slightly less than the axial distance between the shoulders near the ends of the bearing rod 118. It will be understood that this construction is typical not only of roller 116, but also of the rollers 46 and 52 shown in FIG. 4, and of the roller 62, except that the bearing rod of the latter is clamped in the horizontally slidable supports 70 and moves freely in the horizontal slots 74.

The feed Wheel 24 is shown in FIG. 8, and in this case has four teeth or pins 26 which are apart. The diameter of wheel 24 is so selected that the spacing between pins 26 is one inch. The illustrated wheel is longer axially than its diameter, say three inches long, and it might therefore be termed a feed roller or a feed drum, but nevertheless is here termed a feed wheel because it could be larger in diameter with an appropriate increase in the number of pins. It must be emphasized that this feed wheel 24 forms a part of the labeling machine, as made and sold, and as normally used.

The switch mechanism for the magnetic punch is illustrated in FIG. 9, it comprising a switch 140 operated by a cam follower 142 engaging a cam 144 mounted on a shaft 146. In the form here illustrated the shaft 146 turns one-for-one with the attachment of the labels, and therefore the cam 144 has a single rise, to close the switch once for each revolution of the shaft. During the instant that the switch is closed the solenoid is energized and the punch is operated, as will be seen by reference to the electrical diagram in FIG. 2, showing how an ordinary volt supply source is connected to solenoid coil 82 through switch operated by cam 144. When the movable solenoid core 86 is pulled downward it actuates the punch 96.

The shaft 146 is one of the shafts of the labeling machine, or is connected to such a shaft. If it were more convenient to use some other shaft of the labeling machine which does not rotate one-for-one, the cam would be appropriately modified. For example if the switch were actuated by the shaft 148 (FIG. 8) of the feed wheel 24, the cam would require four lifts in order to operate the switch and the punch four times for each rotation of the shaft.

It is believed that the construction and operation of my perforating attachment, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. The attachment requires no change in the labeling machine other than the addition of the attachment, and the addition of the cam operated switch forming a part of the attachment. To start the machine the imperforate tape may be fed by hand until a few holes are preliminarily punched, or a short series of holes may be preliminarily punched manually for starting purposes. The tape then is threaded as shown in FIG. 4, the perforations being led to the pins of the feed wheel. The punch then may be found to perforate the tape incorrectly, that is, not half way between the print of the labels, in which case the knurled knobs at the ends of the roll 116 are loosened and the roll is adjusted upward or downward until the tape is properly located beneath the punch.

Because the imperforate tape then is fed by the regular feed wheel of the labeling machine, there is no problem in matching the feed increments or pitch of the attachment to the feed increments or pitch of the labeling machine. Identical feed is insured by the fact that the same feed wheel serves for both. The imperforate tape is fed much as though it were a perforated tape, it being fed at a station later than the punch station.

It will be understood that while I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, changes may be made in the structure shown, without departing from the scope of the invention as sought to be defined in the following claims. In the claims the term envelope is intended to include other items which are commonly labeled, such as postcards, pamphlets, brochures, catalogues, etc. The reference to the sprocket wheel of the labeling machine serving as the sole tape feed means for the perforating attachment means that the sprocket wheel is the controlling feed means. There might be some additional frictional slip feed to take some of the load, but not controlling the precise amount of final or actual feed of the tape, the latter being determined by the sprocket wheel of the labeling machine, and in that sense the sprocket wheel would still be the sole tape feed means for the attachment.

I claim:

1. For use with a labeling machine which receives a tape of labels to be perforated between successive labels, which severs and applies them successively to envelopes or the like, and which includes one or more rotating shafts and a sprocket wheel having pins to engage the perforations in said tape in order to feed said tape, an attachment for said labeling machine for perforating a tape of labels which tape was not previously provided with feed perforations, said attachment comprising:

(a) an electromagnetically operated punch,

(b) guide rollers to feed the tape to the punch and thence to the sprocket wheel of the labeling machine,

(c) electrical power supply circuitry including a switch to momentarily energize said electromagnetically operated punch, and

(d) a cam mounted on a shaft of the labeling machine for operating the switch one-for-one with the application of labels to the envelopes, the arrangement being such that the sprocket wheel of the labeling machine serves also as the sole tape feed means for the perforating attachment.

2. For use with a labeling machine which receives a tape of labels to be perforated between successive labels, which severs and applies them successively to envelopes or the like, which includes a sprocket wheel having pins to engage the perforations in said tape in order to feed said tape, and which includes a shaft which turns onefor-one with the application of the labels to the successive envelopes, an attachment for said labeling machine for perforating a tape of labels which tape was not previously provided with feed perforations, said attachment comprising:

(a) a solenoid operated punch,

(b) guide rollers to feed the tape to the punch and thence to the sprocket wheel of the labeling machine,

(c) electrical power supply circuitry including a switch to momentarily energize said solenoid operated punch, and

(d) a cam mounted on the aforesaid one-for-one shaft of the labeling machine for operating the switch, the arrangement being such that the sprocket wheel of the labeling machine serves also as the sole tape feed means for the perforating attachment.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,111,084 11/1963 Ridenour et al. 156-521 3,245,861 4/1966 Roshkind 156157 DOUGLAS I. DRUMMOND, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

